Louis Picamelot Crémant de Bourgogne Brut

WHY WE LOVE IT

• This Crémant is made like a Burgundy wine, with Burgundy varietals, from small plots, fully authentic, and all vintage-dated.
• This is absolutely unique, Louis Picamelot quite possibly could be the only ones producing Crémant’s this way.
• All wines are made by Champagne Method, very much like Champagne, bottled in March, long bottle ageing, at least 18 months.
• Dosage is low, mostly 6.75 or lower.

Varietal Composition: 57% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay, 11% Aligoté

Elaboration: Grapes are picked by hand and pressed in a pneumatic press. The yield is limited to 100 litres of must per 150 kg of pressed grapes. Then the juices are set for 24 hours in stainless steel vats for the natural settling. Once the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation is achieved, base wines are blended, bottled and sealed with crown caps, with an addition of sugar and yeasts, to have a third bottle fermentation occur, that will produce CO2 and what is called “Prise de Mousse.” Then the bottles are stored horizontally in their cellars and will age on lees during at least 18 months at a regulated temperature between 54 and 59°F. Next the bottles are settled on their tips and riddled on gyro-paletts, in order to force down the deposit of lees in the neck of the bottles; deposit that will be then forced out thanks to the disgorging. Before the final corking and labeling, the “Liqueur d’Expédition” will be added following the final dosage required.

Tasting Notes: A lemon gold color, with a rich but discreet foam. Note the fine balance between the fruity aromas coming from the grape varieties and the toasty aromas following the ageing in the bottle; a lovely balance between vinosity and crispiness.

PRESS

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PRODUCER BACKGROUND

In 1926, the son of a wine maker, Louis Picamelot became one of the first in Rully to launch the production of “Bourgogne Mousseux” (Burgundian sparkling wine). The 1930’s saw the release of his first label into the French market. In the beginning of the 1950’s, Louis Picamelot’s two daughters got married. Louis’ new son in laws, Louis Siraudin and Jean-Baptiste Chautard joined the family business. The 1970’s saw the next generation step in to work at the winery. Jean-Baptiste’s son, Alain Chautard, joined his father and grandfather and worked at his family’s winery until 2003. Alain younger brother, Philippe Chautard, joined the family business in 1981 and became the manager in 1987. Today he is the owner and general manager. Following his promotion to manager in the the late eighties, Loius Picamelot began exporting their wonderful wines to the rest of the world.